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City Lights Clippings 201/387

Mordaunt Hall, New York Times, N. Y., February 7, 1931.

Charles Chaplin arrives at the City Lights

Premiere, Cohen Theatre, New York, Feb. 6, 1931,

Discovering Chaplin, two photos

„Mr. Chaplin‘s shadow has grown no less“

Editorial content. „CHAPLIN HILARIOUS

      IN HIS ,CITY LIGHTS‘

      Tramp‘s Antics in Non-Dialogue Film Bring Roars

      of Laughter at Cohan Theatre.

      TAKES FLING AT ,TALKIES‘

      Pathos is Mingled With Mirth in a Production

      of Admirable Artistry.

      By Mordaunt Hall.

      CITY LIGHTS, with Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherill, Florence

Lee, Harry Myers, Allan Garcia, Hank Mann and others,

written and directed by Mr. Chaplin. At the George M. Cohan

      Theatre.

      Charlie Chaplin, master of screen mirth and pathos,

presented at the George M. Cohan last night before a brilliant

gathering his long-awaited non-dialogue picture, City

Lights, and proved so far as he is concerned the eloquence

of silence. Many of the spectators either rocking in their

seats with mirth, mumbling as their sides ached. ,Oh, dear,

oh, dear,‘ or they were stilled with sighs and furtive

tears. And during a closing episode, when the Little Tramp

sees through the window of a flower shop the girl

who has recovered his sight through his persistence, one

woman could not restrain a cry.

      Mr. Chaplin arrived in the theatre with a police guard,

and after greeting some of his many friends in the

house he took an aisle seat beside Miss Constance Collier.

When the picture came to an end he went to the stage

and thanked those present for the enthusiasm with which they

had received his work.

      It is a film worked out with admirable artistry, and while

Chaplin stoops to conquer, as he has invariably done,

he achieves success. Although City Lights in some sequences

is more respectable than usual, owing to circumstances

in the story, he begins and ends with the same old clothes,

looking, in fact, a trifle more bedraggled in the last

scene than in most others of his comedies. He has the same

antics, the same flip of the heel, the same little cane,

mustache, derby hat and baggy trousers.“ (...)

      „At the film‘s end is a beautifully poetic bit, with the little

fellow peering in at the window of a flower shop and

recognizing the hitherto blind girl who has recovered her sight

and does not, of course, know him. She laughs at him,

and through another masculine figure, well dressed, one

realizes that she imagines that her hero must look

like this individual. A touch of the hand, however, reveals

that the humble, little chap with the torn trousers and

odd mustache, is her benefactor.

      The synchronized music score helps the movement

of this comedy. It was composed by Chaplin and

arranged by Arthur Johnston. There are times when the

notes serve almost for words and so far as sound

effects go, Chaplin won gales of laughter last night when the

Tramp swallows a whistle and every time he breaths

he whistles. This sound interlude was made the most of, for

the whistle calls cabs and dogs and angers a host

of people.

      It was a joyous evening. Mr. Chaplin‘s shadow

has grown no less.“

     The world premiere of City Lights takes place in Los Angeles

      January 30, 1931 at the Los Angeles Theatre.

      Los Angeles Theatre, 615 South Broadway (between

      6th and 7th Streets), Los Angeles.

      City Lights opens in New York February 6, 1931

      at the Cohan Theatre.

      George M. Cohan Theatre, 1482 Broadway (between

      42nd and 43rd Streets), New York.

      City Lights closes at the Cohan Theatre in New York

      April 30, 1931.

  

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